Ed Stone, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and director of the Institute for Vision Research at the UI, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

Michael J. Welsh, MD, University of Iowa professor of internal medicine, has won the 2025 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for his fundamental research on cystic fibrosis (CF), which paved the way to new therapies that have transformed the health and life expectancy of people with CF.

The Lasker Awards, which honor fundamental discoveries and clinical advances that improve human health, were given on Thursday to scientists for discovering hidden complexity in cells, new states of biological matter, and a potent treatment for cystic fibrosis.

Kevin Campbell, professor and chair of molecular physiology and biophysics at the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, will receive the 2025 Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize from Columbia University. Campbell will share the prize, which is awarded annually for groundbreaking work in medical science, with fellow researchers Louis Kunkel and Eric Olson for discoveries that revealed the biological causes of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and provide the foundation for breakthrough treatments for this and related muscular diseases.

Treat your physical therapist like your dentist. Most people wait until they have pain before calling a P.T. But Amy Kimball, a physical therapist and an assistant professor at the University of Iowa, recommended yearly checkups for everyone to assess how you feel and get advice. Depending on your insurance plan, you may not need a doctor’s referral to see a physical therapist.

University of Iowa scholars secured support for more than 2,300 projects in fiscal year 2025, pursuing research aimed at developing cancer treatments and patient care, advancing brain science and mental health, and building healthier and more resilient Iowa communities.

Two University of Iowa professors are heading a research team that is exploring ways to prevent or reduce vision loss from a degenerative eye disease.

This spring, more than 5,500 University of Iowa students will receive their degrees during in-person and livestreamed commencement ceremonies, beginning with the College of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy ceremony on May 15 and concluding with College of Dentistry ceremony on June 6.

Since early 2024, a different kind of flu called bird flu, formally known as avian influenza, has been spreading in birds as well as in cattle. The current bird flu outbreak has infected 70 Americans and caused two deaths as of April 8, 2025. Public health and infectious disease experts say the risk to people is currently low, but they have expressed concern that this strain of the bird flu virus may mutate to spread between people. The viruses that cause seasonal flu and bird flu are distinct but still closely related. Understanding their similarities and differences can help people protect themselves and their loved ones.

Michael Welsh, University of Iowa physician and professor of internal medicine, has received the 2025 Canada Gairdner International Award for his research on cystic fibrosis, which paved the way to new therapies that have transformed the health and life expectancy of people with the disease. The award, which is bestowed annually by the Gairdner Foundation, recognizes five 2025 Canada Gairdner International Award laureates for seminal discoveries or contributions to biomedical science.

As the university advances plans for a new, state-of-the-art Cancer Research Building, leaders say the facility will pave the way for significant discoveries to be made at the University of Iowa.

Fifty-two University of Iowa colleges and programs were recognized among the best in their field in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings. Seven of these programs received a top five ranking in this year’s report.